Supporting apparatus



Dec. 18, I956 w. F. HENRY 2,774,562

SUPPORTING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 8. 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet l Jff'Ok/VEYE- INVENTOR.

Dec. 18, 1956 w. F. HENRY SUPPORTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 8, 1952 INVEN TOR.

Mfi'am v Dec. 18, 1956 w. F. HENRY SUPPORTING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 8, 1952 f7 ?5 3 a: a1 93 IN VEN TOR.

i Mi #[z Mm 4 United States PatentO SUPPORTING APPARATUS William F. Henry, Edgewood, Pa., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Little GardenCorporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application December 8, 1952, Serial No. 324,727

2 Claims. (Cl. 248-125) My invention relates to supports and has particular relation to apparatus for supporting a body from a vertical column, specifically apparatus for supporting a receptacle such as a flower pot from the vertical railing of a porch or of a window or of other'part of a building.

It is an object of my invention to provide apparatus of simple structure for supporting a body from a vertical column without in any way permanently securing the body to the column. 7

It is another object of my invention to provide a readily attachable and detachable device for supporting a body from a vertical column.

A further object of my invention is to provide readily attachable and detachable apparatus of simple structure for supporting a receptacle such as a flower pot from a vertical column such as the vertical railing of a porch or of any other part of a building.

Patented Dec. 18, 1956 '2 Fig. 7 is a view in side elevation of the essential part of the structure of a modification of my invention;

Fig.8 is a section along line VIII-VIII of Fig. 7; Figs. 9a, 9b and 9c are views in plan, in end elevation and in side elevation, respectively, of a bracket of the type used in the practice 'of the modification of my in- 7 vention shown in Fig. 7;

4 of Fig. 10;

Fig. 10 is a view in side elevation showing the essential port-ion of the structure of a further embodiment of my invention; e Fig. 1 1 is a view in section taken along line XIXI Figs. 12a, 12b and 120 are views in plan, in end elevation and in side elevation, respectively, of the bracket used in the modification of my invention shown in Fig.

Fig. 13 is a view in side elevation of the essential modification of my invention.

A still further object of my invention is to provide I readily detachable and attachable apparatus for support ing a scaffold or'other platform or the'like from a vertical column such as the column of abuilding, a pipe or a power-line or telegraph or telephone line pole.

My invention arises from the realization that a readily attachable or detachable support even for a body of substantial weight may be provided by a mounting conceived to engage the column in such manner as to provide frictional holding forces in the regions where the mounting engages the column which forces are substantially in excess of the weight.

In accordance with my invention, I provide a bracket in the form of a C or open frame which may he slipped sideways on the column and is held on the column by frictional forces. An article holder is preferably removably interlocked with the frame.

The novel features that I consider characteristic of my invention are set forth generally above. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a preferred embodiment of my invention showing the manner in which it supports a receptacle,'such as a flower pot;

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of this preferred embodiment of my invention with the receptacle removed;

In Figs. 1 through 6 my invention is shown as applied to apparatus for supporting a flower pot 19 from the railing 21 of a porch (not shown) which railing is of square cross-section. The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 through 7 includes a rectangular bracket or frame 23 which may also be regarded .as a hook-like member. The bracket is preferably composed. of metal such as steel, brass or aluminum b-ut it-may also be composed of a phenolic condensation product, a plastic --or wood. The bracket has a plane surface as disclosed herein but its surface may take any desired form and usually will be ornamental. An opening 25 in the bracket 23 (which may be regarded as defined by the jaws 33 and 35 if the member is regarded as hook like) communicates with an opening 27 in the boundary of the frame. In the case of the structure shown in Figs. 1 through 6, the opening 27 is coextensive with theopening 25 in the frameso that the bracket23 is intheform of a C bracket.

The dimension of the opening 25valong the long side 'of the bracket 23 is longer than the side of a crosssection of the railing on which thebracket is to be mountbracket 23 engage two opposite sides 29 and 31 of the Fig. 3 is a view in section taken along the line Ill-Ill of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a view in section of a portion of the struc ture taken along the line IV-IV of Fig. l;

Figs. 5a, 5b and 5c are views inplane in endelevation and in side elevation, respectively, of a bracket of .the I type used in thepractice of my invention as shown in railing. Since theopening 25 is longer than the crosssectional dimension of the railing 23, the bracket 23 extends at an angle to the railing.

On one side 33 of the opening 25 in the bracket 23 along the long side of theopening the bracket preferably (but not necessarily) is substantiallylonger than on the other side 35 of the opening 25. In the side 33 of the bracket 23 there are two holes 37 spaced a distance just greater than the cross-sectional dimension of the railing 21. The holes 37 are elongated in the direction of the long side 34 of'the bracket. On its shorter side 35 the bracket .33 is provided with ears 39 which extend upward perpendicular to the plane of the bracket.

.The apparatus shown in Figs. 1 through 6 also includes an articlefholder. for the flower pot 19 which is in the form of a ringlor hoop 41 of circular cross-section, Such a ring 4,1 is suitable to hold 'a flower pot of circular crosssection. -Naturally if the receptacle has a different cross section, the ring 41 may have acorrespondingly difierent cross-sectionl The ring 41 is composed of a metal such as steel, brass or aluminum, or phenolic condensating product, plastic or wood.

From the ring 41 at one side a pair of arms 43 extend. These arms may be integral with the ring 41 and may extend from its body at an obtuse angle so that the ring 41 and the arms 43 define different planes. At their ends the arms 43 are provided with hooks or small bends 45 by means of which they may be engaged in the openings 37 of the bracket 23. The openings 37 are just sufficiently elongated to allow the hooks 45 to pass through the openings and contact the under side of the bracket. The obtuse angle 44 between the arms 43 and the ring 41 is such that when the hooks 45 are engaged in the openings 37 in the bracket 23 and the bracket is mounted on the railing 21 the ring 41 is in substantially a horizontal plane. The angle between the arms and the ring 41 may also be such that the ring 41 is at other angles than horizontal, depending on the receptacle or other body to be supported; in fact, the angle may be reflex in certain situations. The openings 37 are on the remote side of the bracket 23 and railing 21 from the ring 41. When the arms 43 are engaged in the openings and extend along the opposite sides of the railing 21 and engage inward faces of the cars 39, the railing 21 and the cars 39 lend the assembly a certain rigidity and prevent it from tilting excessively. The arms 43 need not touch the railing 21 but should be sufficiently near to limit an excessive relative motion of the parts relative to each other.

When the flower pct 19 is held in the ring 41 and the ring is supported in the bracket 23 on the railing 21, the flower pot is held with the surface of the bed substantially in .a horizontal position. The ring 41 and its arms 43 are so dimensioned that the center of gravity of the ring 41 and the flower pot 19 is at a substantial horizontal distance from the railing 21. This distance should be large compared to the cross-sectional dimension of the railing.

When the receptacle 19 is supported'as shown in Fig. 1, the upward frictional forces exerted between the railing 1 and the edges of the bracket 23 engaging it are greater than the downward force exerted by the receptacle 19 and its contents and the receptacle is held. in the position in which it is slipped onto the railing 19.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 through 6 the extension 33 of the bracket 23 in which the locking openings 37 are provided is on the remote side of the railing 21 from the supporting ring 41. In the modification shown in Figs. 7 through 9, the corresponding extension 49 and the openings 51 are on the same side of the railing 21 as the ring 53. In this case the bracket 55 is similar to the bracket 23 shown in Figs. 1 through 7, being in the general form of a frame with the extension 49 in which there are the pair of openings 51 on one side. The bracket 55 has no ears corresponding to t e ears 39 but an ear 57 projects centrally from the end of the extension 49 in which the holes 51 are provided. The car 57 limits the lateral motion of the support 53. There are also a pair of lips 59 extending to one side and the other from the opening 61 in the boundary of the bracket 55 through which the bracket is engaged with the railing 21. The article holding ring 53 is in this case supported from the holes 51 generally in the same manner as the ring 41 of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 but the arms 63 of the ring do not extend around the railing; they extend around the projection 57 and engage the holes 51. i

The err 57 may be replaced by a slot or slots in the end of the extension 49. In this case the arms 63 are bent to conform to the shape of the slot or slots. ,In lieu of two lips 59, there may be only one lip which would extend substantially over the whole side of the railing 21.

The modification of my invention shown in Figs. through 13 is conceived for mounting a body on a circular column or railing 65. In this case the bracket 67'is of the same general structure as the bracket shown in Fig. 1 except that the opening 69 in the bracket, the boundaries of which engage the column 67, is of elliptical-or oval 4 '1 form. The extension 71 in which the holes 73 for securing the arms 75 are provided is in this case on the side remote from the ring 77 and cars 79 similar to those (39) in the Fig. 1 modification are included on the bracket 67.

The modification of my invention shown in Figs. 13 through 15 is also conceived for supporting a body on a column 65 of circular cross-section but in this case the bracket 81 is similar to that (55) disclosed in Figs. 7 through 9. The bracket 81 has an elliptical opening 83 and the extension -85 which carries the holes 87 to which the arms 89 are secured is on the same side of the railing 65 as the ring 91 and a central projection 93 is provided at the end of the bracket 81. In this case again the opening 95 through which the bracket 81 is slipped onto the column 65 is provided with lips 97 (or a lip) extending to one side and the other of the plane of the bracket 81 and this aids in holding the bracket in engagement with the column.

In the apparatus shown in Fig. 16 a scaffold 99 is supported from poles 101) from brackets 101 similar to that shown in Figs. 14 through 16.

It is seenthat in accordance with my invention I have provided the readily removable and readily attachable support particularly conceived for mounting on a vertical column. The support may be slipped onto the column laterally and need not be brought down over the top of the column. The mounting means is held secured to the column only by frictional forces and no permanent securing means which would tend to mar the column and cause difficulties in removing the means from the column is necessary or limit the flexibility of adjustment.

While I have shown and described certain specific embodiments of my invention many modifications thereof are possible. Thus my invention may be applied to the mounting of household lamps and lamps of other types such as those used in display rooms, microphones, metal awnings, mirrors of all types, bill boards and posters, shelves, hooks in storage bins. In addition, hauling trucks may be provided with vertical columns on which brackets as disclosed could be mounted to support different bodies being transported. My invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except insofar as is necessitated by the spirit of the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an apparatus for supporting an article, a vertical column, a bracket on the column in the form of a rectangular frame having opposed pairs of long and short sides and an elongated opening therein substantially longer than the corresponding transverse dimension of said column, the opposed short sides of said frame having edges adapted to frictionally engage the opposed surfaces of said column, and one long side of said frame having a gap therein, said gap being sufiiciently wide to permit said frame to be slipped laterally onto or from said column, and a member including a portion for supporting said article, said member having parallel arm portions with hook-like ends, said frame having an extension from one short side thereof, said extension being provided with vertical holes arranged on a line generally perpendicular to the long sides of the frame and spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of said column, said hook-like ends engaged in, and removably locked in said holes and said arm portions being so positioned that said article supporting portion extends in a generally horizontal direction from said column, the length of said member being so proportioned to the transverse dimension of the column that when the article is supported by said member the frictional forces between said edges and the column are adequate to maintain the frame, the member, and the article in any elevated position'on the column, the article supporting portion of the member being positioned on said frame on the opposite side of said column from said extension, the arm portions of said member extending generally parallel with-the long sides of said frame on opposite sides of said column, one'of said arms extending across said gap in said frame to prevent the frame from slipping sideways from the column.

2. In an apparatus for supporting an article, a vertical column, a bracket on the column in the form of a rectang'ular frame having opposed pairs of long and short sides and an elongated opening therein substantially longer than the corresponding transverse dimension of said column, the opposed short sides of said frame having edges adapted to frictionally engage the opposed surfaces of said column, and one long side of said frame having a gap therein, said gap being sufficiently wide to permit said frame to be slipped laterally onto or from said column, and a member including a portion for supporting said article, said member having arm portions, said arm portions having means for engaging said frame and said arm portions being so positioned that said article supporting portion extends in a generally horizontal direction from said column, the length of said member being so proportioned to the transverse dimension of the column that when the article is supported by said member the frictional forces between said edges and the column are adequate to maintain the frame, the member, and the article in any elevated position on the column, said engaging means being positioned on the side of the column opposite the article supporting portion when said bracket and member are mounted on said column, whereby one of said arm portions extends across said gap in said frame to prevent the frame from slipping sideways from the column.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 108,863 White Nov. 1, 1870 141,498 Edmonston Aug. 5, 1873 686,799 Barnes Nov. 19, 1901 726,905 Gleason May 5, 1903 857,820 Mosher June 25, 1907 903,302 Moore Nov. 10, 1908 1,034,365 Houser July 30, 1912 1,086,813 Fritts Feb. 10, 1914 1,206,203 Brockway Nov. 28, 1916 1,345,252 Rubin June 29, 1920 1,432,206 Poole' Oct. 17, 1922 1,666,293 Lorton Apr. 17, 1928 1,707,829 Wagner Apr. 2, 1929 2,086,280 Matter July 6, 1937 2,216,886 Langelier Oct. 8, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS 90,445 Switzerland Dec. 1, 1921 

